Air filters are commonly used in a variety of engine applications to filter the combustion air at the air intake to avoid dust and other contaminants from reaching the engine. Such an air cleaner assembly, for example, is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 8,216,335 to Scott et al. (entitled “AIR CLEANER; REPLACEABLE FILTER CARTRIDGE; AND METHODS”), the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as it illustrates the type of housings to which the improved air filter according to the embodiments of the present invention can be replaceably installed and removed when spent. Accordingly, U.S. Pat. No. 8,216,335 to Scott et al. discloses air cleaner housings for which embodiments of the present invention are usable.
As shown generally in U.S. Pat. No. 8,216,335, such air cleaner assemblies typically comprise a cover/lid that is mounted on an air cleaner housing and encloses a primary filter and a secondary filter therein. At the cover end, some air cleaners as in the '335 Patent have a projection receiver arrangement that is proposed to facilitate interlocking relationship between the air filter cartridge and the housing cover lid. At the other end, the housing includes a holder structure that includes four evenly spaced holder structures, one corresponding to corresponding structure on the filter cartridge. For example, each holder structure is sized to pass through a corresponding gap formed in the filter cartridge. Each holder structure is disclosed as having a circumferentially extending surface segment as well as an end stop that projects axially. The circumferentially extending surface segment may extend or be shaped as a cam to slant toward the outlet. Further details of such holder structures and corresponding filter cartridge features can be had with reference to the '335 Patent.
Embodiments of the present invention can be usable with such air cleaner housings as disclosed in the '335 Patent and/or in other such applications. The present invention provides for improvements over the state of the art.